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Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days

Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days

by Heather Smith
Publisher: Wrightbooks
Release Date: April 2013
ISBN: 9780730378259
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Book Description

The practical guide to learning the essentials of starting your own business in just one week

Thinking about starting a business? Then Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days is the book for you. Guiding you through the key aspects of getting a new business up and running, from a self assessment about whether you are really prepared, through to finance, marketing, and legal issues, highly sought-after small business commentator Heather Smith covers it all.

Carefully explaining everything you need to know to efficiently and effectively start a business, the book comprehensively covers the basics in 7 chapters, one for every day it will take you to get ready to leave the rat race and live your small business dream.

  • Covers everything you need to know to start and prosper as a small business owner

  • Helps you gauge whether running a small business is right for you

  • Offers expert advice from a highly-respected small-business specialist

While running a small business allows you to turn your passion into your livelihood, it is also often very demanding on your time, your cash reserves, and your sanity. With this book in hand, you have everything you need to lay a solid foundation for small business success.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Testimonial
  5. Foreword
    1. About the author
    2. Acknowledgements
    3. Introduction
  6. Day 1: Are you ready to start a business?
    1. Are you ready to start a business?
    2. What is a small business?
    3. Goals for running a business
    4. Are you suited to running a business?
    5. Work-life balance
    6. Finding a product or service to sell
    7. Does your business idea have merit?
    8. Researching your business idea
    9. Understanding your competition
    10. Understanding the business environment
    11. Evaluating the business environment
    12. Avoiding mistakes
    13. Getting additional help
  7. Day 2: Establishing your business
    1. Establishing your business
    2. Filing
    3. Licences, permits, registrations and certificates
    4. Registering for an ABN
    5. Choosing a business structure
    6. Date of commencement
    7. The business name
    8. Trademarks
    9. Funding the initial investment
    10. Franchising
    11. Strategic planning
    12. The business plan
    13. Exit strategies
  8. Day 3: Getting professional advice
    1. Getting professional advice
    2. Selecting a specialist
    3. Legal requirements
    4. Financial requirements
    5. Finding trusted business advisers
    6. Insurance requirements
    7. Intellectual property considerations
    8. Technology considerations
    9. Software
    10. Telecommunications requirements
    11. Sustainability considerations
  9. Day 4: Marketing
    1. Marketing
    2. Marketing strategy
    3. Branding
    4. Customer relationship management
    5. Email
    6. Newsletters
    7. Competitor profiles
    8. Offline activities
    9. Online activities
  10. Day 5: Finances
    1. Finances
    2. Financing your business
    3. Banking and merchant facilities
    4. Business tax obligations
    5. Connecting with the ATO
    6. Choosing accounting software
    7. Accounting 'in the clouds'
    8. Understanding financial reports
    9. Accounts receivable
    10. Maximising income
    11. Accounts payable
    12. Minimising expenditure
    13. Bookkeeping procedures
    14. Budgets and forecasts
    15. Inventory management
    16. Financial benchmarks
  11. Day 6: People power
    1. People power
    2. Creating an organisation chart
    3. Determining your personnel requirements
    4. Employing personnel
    5. Contractors
    6. Outsourcing
    7. The recruitment process
    8. The true cost of employing staff
    9. Connecting with your employees
  12. Day 7: Launching your business
    1. Launching your business
    2. Choosing a location
    3. Leasing space
    4. The home office
    5. E-commerce
    6. Incubator opportunities
    7. Business equipment
    8. The paperless office
    9. Operational strategies
    10. Business procedures
    11. Franchising your business
    12. Before you give up your day job
    13. Juggling the business and your life
    14. Finding your first client or customer
    15. The business plan
  13. Appendix A: Business plan template
  14. Appendix B: Business plan for Mulrenan Gardeners
  15. Appendix C: Resources
  16. Appendix D: Glossary
  17. Heather Smith